The Brains Behind the LRA

The Brains Behind the LRA

Posted by Rebecca Brocato on August 17, 2009

Joseph Kony, the brutal and cultish figure at the helm of the Lord’s Resistance Army, or LRA, has terrorized civilians throughout Central Africa for more than two decades. His appalling tactics, which include abduction, forced conscription of child soldiers, and sexual slavery, now destabilize and wreak havoc on civilian populations in four countries.

Understanding how the LRA functions and how the LRA organizes its fighters can be difficult because there is very little information about the organization’s command structure. However, such knowledge is necessary to truly understand the LRA’s activities as well as the best way to end the violence. In order to address this problem, the Enough team and our former field based LRA researcher, Julia Spiegel, compiled a series of profiles about LRA leadership. “Wanted by the ICC, The LRA’s Leaders: who they are & what they’ve done” also provides insights into the LRA’s command and control structure, which is critical to understanding how the LRA has been able to stay active for so long. The profiles underscore the importance of Kony’s leadership and describe his key deputies and their role within the organization.

After supporting failed joint military operations against the LRA late last year, the United States has an obligation to ensure that new efforts successfully apprehend Kony and that northern Ugandans see the implementation of badly needed reconstruction and development projects. Ending the scourge of the LRA is urgent, and we hope you use these profiles as a tool to learn more about this crisis.